Allotment Gardening in Denmark

Allotment gardening or community gardening has long been very popular in Denmark. The first known allotment gardens in the country were the ones laid down along the Fredericia fortifications in 1778. The first private initiative for allotment gardening was seen in Aalborg and Copenhagen.

Through time, many people transferred from rural to urban living. Since most people were accustomed to country living and self-sufficiency, moving to the city awakened the longing to cultivate land and produce vegetables and fruits. This led to the rise of allotment gardening amidst the many constructed buildings in the city. It was a chance to be near soil again and be able to produce one’s own food as many were accustomed to.

As more Danes became accustomed to a new way of affluence and official holidays were introduced by law, allotment gardens for many became the default summer house for numerous families. This meant being able to stay in designated allotment lots for several months in a year for some sort of vacation. Allotment gardens are usually managed by allotment associations to ensure order. Municipalities often rent out land for this purpose to allotment associations.

At present, the Allotment Garden Federation of Denmark regulates most allotment associations in the country. Rules were clearly established to prevent private entities from unduly profiting from the use of public land. With this in place, Danes gained access to allotment gardening for leisure. It is worth noting that allotment gardens are situated in the most attractive plots of land. This has led to a long waiting list for membership application in allotment associations.